End of Days
by Tazwalker
Summary: Set a year after "Scud before the Wind". Scud and Alia are back with Blade. The calm before the storm is chilling all three to the bones. While something evil is watching them, they prepare for the worst. And the worst is what is about to happen!
1. Chapter 1

_I hear it fading  
I can't speak it  
Or else you will dig my grave  
We fear them finding  
Always whining  
Take my hand now  
Be alive*_

Watching the sun disappear behind the horizon, the ancient figure reminisced about what has been and what was about to come. Over the centuries, his race had become week, corrupted. There was no way of saving them. No, they had to leave the face of this planet for him to start over. And his enemy down there would help him. He already did by hunting down those weak and unworthy. A formidable warrior like him didn't have too much trouble with it. And his humans seemed to be of good use as well. He'd be watching them for a while longer. One of the humans reminded him of someone he had known and lost so long ago.

Jumping down from the roof, he blurred into the maelstrom of humans on their way home from work, to see friends, to have dinner. Walking amongst them, he dreamed of the day his children would no longer have to hide. Not only from them but from the sun as well. Degenerated as they were now, the race was only a step above rats living in the sewers. This saddened and outraged him at the same time. Soon. And with the right person by his side, he'd father a new race. It was up to him and only to him. The other one like him refused to pass on his legacy, rather hating and defying the whole existence of them all. But the true path would be fulfilled one way or another.

_We walk amongst you  
Feeding, raping  
Must we hide from everyone*_

Blade knew about him watching. But he felt like it wasn't about him. The eyes of the enemy seemed to be focused on something else. Someone else. Given the fact that Scud and Alia basically were one person, there was no way of telling which one of them was of interest. Scud surely could have some knowledge about the old Overlord and some inside things, at least to what the enemy knew. Truth was, Scud didn't know much and all he knew was passed on to Blade. Alia, on the other hand, had nothing the enemy could want. Besides reproductive organs, that was. And that worried Blade like nothing had before.

This creature was not to be taken lightly. The only reason he had survived their last clash was because his "friend" thought they were alike. Not in a million years. Even though his blood thirst had taken over once, he'd never consider himself one of them. He'd rather ram his sword through his own chest. They were nothing alike. And it bothered Blade that he was still out there but he had prove to be hard, if not impossible, to kill. So the next step had to be planned careful. Posing to be him, the enemy had somehow managed to wake up in the morgue and get out. So daystar had been a failure. But it taken a while before Blade had found out. After all this mess had gone down, he had drawn back for a while. The loss of Whistler had hit him hard. Gone was the old man. During his absence, the enemy had taken care of the Nightstalkers. Nobody was left. Why Scud and Alia were still alive was a riddle to be solved. And soon.

The sun had just come up when Scud and Alia finally went to bed. What luxury to have a bed with an actual frame! Scud let himself fall into the soft pillows and held the blanket up for Alia to crawl underneath. Half rolled on his chest, she rested her head on his shoulder and he kissed her head while wrapping her arms around her. Life was good these days. Too good to be true. And as if she had the same thoughts, Alia shivered before she said "It has been quiet for to long" "I know, buttercup, I know" "So, Bubbles, what are we gonna do?" Snorting that she used that silly nickname on him today, he shrugged. "Dunno. Bein' sucker-bait was the job-description" "Oh, now you're being pessimistic" she said while tracing the scarred skin on his belly. With time passing, they'd become more even and softer. The red was already fading but he still lacked feeling in the most part of this area. It was simple, scarred flesh with destroyed nerve-endings didn't send much sensory things to the brain.

So in order for him to feel anything, she moved farther up his chest to the even part. Thoughtfully playing with the soft hair there, she felt Scud raising his head, looking at her. "We should be prepared for them to come" "Aren't we already? Sides, we got the Daywalker on our side" "Sure, but he ain't here all the time. 'Memba how easily the got me? Man, good think I told him. Imagine how that could ..." "SCUD!" "Yes, Ma'am?" he mocked. Slapping him softly on the arm, he ouched dramatically and by rolling over, he buried her underneath him. Laughing, he rubbed his nose on her neck and kissed her. Arms tight around him, she felt like never letting go again. "Seriously, Josh..." "I know, doll, I know. We gotta be careful. Can't lose ya. Been through to much already." Sometime later, they had fallen asleep like that.

Scud was woken by the smell of coffee. Blissfully rolling around in the bed, he stretched his arms and groaned. He got a pair of black pants out of the closet and choose a blue plaid to go along with it. Alia had insisted on stocking up his wardrobe with something else but his beloved red pants. The practical argument of blood not being that visible on red was thrown down by the simple fact that black worked just the same. So he put them on every now and then. Getting his vest over it, he got his first smoke of the day outta the pocket and while he slouched towards the delicious smell, he lit it.

Alia sat on the table, on the chair closest to the heater, earphones in, head slowly nodding to the beat. Her plate was empty, her mug still steaming. The window behind her showed the world glinting with the first hints of frost. Eyes unfocused, she wasn't even there, totally focused on her music. He smiled to himself and got himself a cup of coffee too. Searching for milk, he found it on the counter where Alia had left it once again. She always forgot to put it back. He'd long given up on saying anything about it like she never said a word about him spreading his toys everywhere. It was just the way it was.

He sat down next to her, waving a new smoke infront of her face. She didn't jump, just lifted her eyes and took it from him with a nod. Stealing one of the earphones, he put it in his ear and sat next to her silent, shoulders slightly touching. Neither of them noticed Blade walking by the little kitchen room, stopping outside for a split second. Shaking his head, he thought he might never understand. But somehow he did. Guess in a world ripped off any walls and shrouds and blindfolds, having someone at your side kept you sane.

Oblivious to this, Scud and Alia drank coffee and smoked to their music.

_Do you Believe? Do you Fade like a Dream?  
Let me hear you BREATHE  
Let me watch as you sleep  
The Sparrows Eyes Promises shift into judgments  
I cannot deny that you were designed for my punishments _

_*Disturbed- forsaken, Slipknot - gehenna_


	2. Chapter 2

The night had fallen over the city when Alia walked down the streets. A black and red leather jacket covering weapons, shitkickers hiding knifes, belt rigged with a flat version of the UV-grenades. Scud had been busy lately. Blade was somewhere up the roofs or maybe down the sewers, hell only knew. But he was somewhere so no worries. Whatever they were facing tonight, Alia was sure she could handle what she'd run into. The only thing that worried her was what she couldn't see. Only feel.

The 3rd drink before him, Scud tried to look inconspicuous. Easier said then done, all the vampires knew him. Which was part of the plan. Sit around, wait for them to come and try something. Weapons hidden underneath his red baggy pants and the wide shirt and big jacket should make it easy. Should. Overconfidence kills. At least humans and Vampires not being named Eric. Ugggghhh. Shivering internally over using Blades real name, Scud let his eyes search around. Yup, there they were. Two in the corner to the right, five next to the big speakers. Moving away from them, the show on the stage next to the speakers distracted them.

The Vampires had gone completely nuts. Alia was sure of that when she entered the club. Or they just had discovered Anne Rice novels for themselves and tried to recreate them. But Alia was pretty sure that "Théâtre des Vampires " wasn't the best arc in the chronicles to play on a stage. A little too obvious. Shaking her head, she saw Scud on the bar, a smoke hanging halfway down between his slightly opened lips as he watched the show. Fighting the urge to just walk over and shake her dipshit-boyfriend by the collar, she moved into a dark corner. The whitish-wig and the heavy make-up should give her some cover but Vampires also went by smell. Only so much to do about that.

Blade watched the whole mess from behind the stage. He'd been thinking about standing back this time. Wanting to see how good Scud and Alia could handle things and only intervening if it goes to shit. Yeah. No. Fuck that. This was a new stage of craziness and clearly a trap. They did that to lure him out. Or didn't they? Maybe Dementia had now really settled into the weak lines for recent vampires. In that account, he had to agree with Drake. The race became weaker and weaker that in fact it had been fun for Blade fighting an enemy as strong as the first of Vampires himself. And given his, in comparison, alien nature, it was hard to guess what his next step was. But now, for the problem at hand, he had to come with something now. He didn't want to endanger his friends. In fact, he'd been playing with the thought of sending them away. But Alia had made it pretty clear that they wouldn't go anywhere anymore. Their death-warrants had been sealed in blood already and literally. They were safest with him. Watching the Vampires drinking from each other on the stage, watched by humans and members of the breed made Blade chuckle. Safe. Right.#

Unbelievable! They actually drunk from each other on the stage. The humans around thought is was an awesome and bloody trick but Scud knew better. His scars itched and hurt watching this. Holy hell. Ash from his cigarette fell on his pants and he brushed it off. When he looked back up, they were there. Four of them circling him. Show time. "Hey guys. Y'all havin' a good time?" Cocking an eyebrow along with the question, he continued smoking like he didn't care. Good Suckheads would sense his heartbeat altering and his sweat glands working harder. They seemed to be good. Well, good in whichever way you wanna look at hit. One of them very visibly smelled the air. "The Daywalker's pet. Little to convenient for you to be here, don't cha think?" "Ima nobodies pet" Scud scowled at him but the dude just took that as an instigation and came closer until their noses almost touched. Now his fangs were very clearly visible. Captain Obvious infront of him tried to aggravate him, that was for sure. With that many humans around, it would cause a big riot if Blade now popped a few of them and they knew it. Blade was still a fugitive of the authorities of the United States. So what to do? As always, his woman was one step ahead.

_End of the line  
You sold your soul  
For a better life  
You're better off dead*_

The fire alarm blared and Alia just saw Scud jumping off his bar chair, throwing something into the air while she ran towards his attackers. One of them, the big black dude closest to him, threw him down but she saw the tip of the long knife Scud had hidden in is sleeves sticking out of the back of the Vampire. No worries. The ten second delay gave her enough time to make her way through the masses to them. Her two khurki-daggers at ready, guns in both hands, she tried to steady her fists during her run and fired. Both bullets hit their targets and the two went to ashes. The third Vampire turned towards her and Alia realized the ten seconds were over but the grenade didn't go off. Dud. Shit. With a snarl, the guy came at her.

Smelling the ash of the Vampire above him, the hilt of the blade feeling hot in his hand, Scud realized his smoke dropping from his lips after all when he saw the vampire still standing charging at Alia and his bomb not going off. Shit! Scrambling to get up, he drew his own gun. But by the time he had leveled it, he realized it was futile. Ducking, not stopping her own run but dropping her guns since he was to close anyway, she and the vampire crashed together. Her fist connected with his stomach, which caused him to howl. He kept moving with his incredible speed but Alia had trained with Blade a lot. Also, they had their weaknesses in what made them strong. They were essentially animals and that was something to count on. Twirling around, her left hand now held her kuhkri-dagger. The suckhead turned as well and went straight for her neck with his mouth wide open. The curved blade went straight into the soft flesh of his belly and curled up into his heart from underneath the ribcage. Poof!

Showtime. The second Blade showed himself on the stage, they were all onto him. He was the bigger threat. Four out and a dud. So far so good. The Daywalker made short work of the rest with his Katana. Easy job for tonight. But that was what it had supposed to be. The humans around screamed and ran out. Unharmed but scared to death and with a story to be told. Nice. Looking around, he saw Alia picking her guns up and Scud brushing ash of himself. "Gotta go" Blade rumbled and led the way to the backdoor. But before he reached it, he already heard the sirens. Shit. Either the fire alarm had made them come so fast or they Vamps had called the cops before all of that. He had been aware of the trap, of course but he never chickened out. Neither did his friends. Now they had to find a way out. "Gimme your weapons".

_*Arch Enemy -end of the line_


	3. Chapter 3

Scud leaned back onto the cold stone wall, the flickering light above him showing a satisfied smirk. "What's so funny, asshole?" The officer on the other side of the iron bars said. Scud just kept on smiling to himself. Totally worth it.

After he and Alia had passed on their weapons to Blade, they posed as regular humans running from the mess in the club. They ran for god knows how long until Alia had gotten one of her moods and randomly started hopping from one puddle of water into the next. Scud had to laugh so hard, he bend over and held his stomach. Sometimes she was just a big kid. Like him. Watching her doing this, seeing her smile and enjoy herself, along with the tension falling off him, he had grabbed her and kissed her in the middle of rather nice alley.

It was supposed to be nothing more but damn! Arms around his neck, she jumped and wrapped her legs around him, deepening the kiss. Leaning back against one of those trees in the alley, he balanced them and held her. While her tongue swirled around in his mouth, hot an heavy, teasing and promising, circling his own tongue, his dick grew. And he felt it. Moving her hips in his grasp, causing friction for them both, she set him off. Grunting, he set her down and fumbled with her fly and button. A tiny laughter from her as he did the same to his pants and stuck her hand inside right away.

"Shit, doll…" he groaned, head sinking to hers, forehead resting on forehead while he absorbed the feeling. Alia saw him biting his lip, nostrils flaring, eyes closed. Slowly but firm her hand went up and down the velvet skin of his member. Thumb touching his tip, she was careful with her nails. His hands somehow had ended up on her boobies but her was so lost, he just held them there, not moving, over her shirt. Rubbing her nose against his, she got him to open his eyes. And what he saw when he looked at her made him grin. Removing her her hand from his pants, he held onto her fist and dragged her a little along the street towards an big entrance for cars into a backyard parking space. There, he found what he needed. Shoving her towards the little wall framing the parking space, he got behind her.

She got what he wanted and hissed in anticipation. Bending over the little wall, she spread her legs apart and shiver when Scud pulled her pants down and the cold night-air touched her exposed skin. Hot hands squeezed her ass before she felt on hand going around, straight for her clit. "Scud…" she hissed in warning. "Right. Want this?" he let his question be followed by an action. But not what she wanted. Using his dick, he let the full length glide over her core, back and forth, getting to the goods. Growling in impatience, she looked over her shoulder and he laughed his most mean laugh. Bending over to her, tried to kiss her but she turned her head away and stuck up her nose.

"Beast" "You started this" "Oh ok, so if I do this…." His tip now penetrating her entrance "I get a kiss?" Her mouth twitched as she looked over her shoulder again and before Scud knew what she was planning, she shoved herself back and with that, his dick in completely. "Godfuckingdammit" his head rolled back and with two hard smacks, his hands grabbed ahold of her hips. Cocking his eyebrows, he watched as he started thrusting. "Still want that kiss" he said and bent down to her again. Before his lips reached hers, she said "Harder"

And he did! Rougher and rougher her slammed into her and he got his kiss. Moaning into his mouth, she devoured him. The force of his movements made her holding onto the wall hard and trying to not lose her balance on her feet. Damn. Unable to hold back her sounds, she buried her mouth into her arm while Scuds panting echoed from the concrete walls around them until he came. She was close to when the the sirens blared and there was only time to get the pants back up and closed for both of them before the iron wristbands snapped.

Indecent behavior. Hopefully Blade would get them out soon.

Alia sat in her own little cell and wasn't satisfied at all. Legs pulled up to her chest, she was frustrated and pissed. The female officer had treated her like a a professional whore. Well, ok, having sex in public wasn't a nice thing to do. At least not for the old lady who had seen and reported them. Still, this sucked. The air was most and cold in here, the walls and floors dirty. Damn, even the sewers she sometimes had to go in was nicer. Chin resting on her knees, she was staring at the floor without seeing in, lost in her own mind. So she only realized her company when he spoke to her.

"I could help you to get out of here" a deep male voice said. Only flicking her eyes over, not moving in the slightest, a shiver ran through her. Drake. Great. But funny enough, she didn't feel threatened and usually she went by her guts with these things. So her heart kept on beating soundly and she felt calm. "What do you want?" Her eyes went back to the floor and she sounded bored. "The question is more like what do you want, dear." "From you? Nothing. And Blade will come soon enough."

"You know he will not be able to protect you and the one you love" Drake stepped closer and hung his hands through the bars, resting on his elbows. "Shit happens" Alia drawled. "I could help, you know. I have power beyond…" he kept on talking but Alia's mind blurred his voice out and she withdrew into herself completely. Drake noticed this along with the fact that she still wasn't scared. He'd have to change that.

No idea how he did it but he was the Vampire-originator, so Alia shouldn't have been surprised when he suddenly stood right infront of her. Snapping out of her inner sanctuary, her eyes focused on him. But that wasn't enough for him. With brutal force he grabbed her by the neck and pushed her into the wall behind her. Being a rather big guy, he didn't have to lift his arm but he still did, so her feet dangled in the air, his hand closed around her throat. "Listen to me, human. The time of yours species is over. Soon, there will be nothing left of those weaklings calling themselves my descendants and that is when humanity will shatter and die. Heed my advice: chose your side and chose it soon"

His eyes drilled into hers and somehow she had the thought there was no actual choice for her to make. Or rather, just the usual. Die or fight. But she was running out of air. The metal clicking of keys somewhere close distracted Drake however, and he let her drop. Sniffing the air, he growled. With the blink of an eye, he was gone. 5 seconds later, Blade stepped into her blurred view. Aha. That was the reason. "Let's go" The Daywalker wore his usual sunglasses even inside again.


	4. Chapter 4

Not being used to being out in the sun anymore, Scud blinked when they got outside. Alia was waiting in the Charger already. B hadn't said much about the whole ordeal. Not that Scud gave a fuck. Riding shotgun, he turned around in the seat, a smoke between his lips already. Alia looked distant, lost in thoughts. "What's wrong? Did they treat you bad?" "Got a visit from Drake" Blade, who was just about to drive out of the parking lot onto the street hit the brakes. Hart. Scud's jaw fell through the metal of the car. For almost a minute, nobody spoke. Which was unusual for both men actually. So Alia went on. " Gave me a speech about how you, B, can't protect US, being Scud and myself. How powerful he is. That I didn't have a choice, that humans and weak vampirs alike would die blabla. To be honest, I didn't listen properly. What strikes me curious right now is that I didn't scare. I mean, he is the first of Vampires, right? I should have pissed my pants. He had my by my throat when you came, B. But not with his fangs, with his hand. ONE hand."

Blade nodded and hit the gas while Scud reached over the seat for her hand. She gave him hers and he squeezed it hard, looking worried. But neither of the three felt scared.

Back in their warehouse, Alia not just wondered why it was always fucking Warehouses but also what to do know. Turned out her boys had the same thoughts.

_All of my hate cannot be bound.  
I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming.  
So, you can try to tear me down,  
Beat me to the ground,  
I will see you screaming. *_

Scud went right over to his working bench and started rummaging. "So" blowing out smoke in a ring "we're having the Vampires on a hunt for us while the big motherfucker himself is out for them. And somehow out for Alia. What am I missing?" "He wants to recreate the race" Blade was dead calm. "By killing them all or letting us kill them, he is getting there sooner. If he manages to find suitable persons for the re-creation, he can speed that process up cos they'd be even stronger and faster" Scud interrupted the speech with a snort "As if they'd be not fast enough already. Fuckers" Now Alia interrupted Scud "Josh, he managed to get THROUGH the damn iron bars without touching them! I Have no idea how he did that!" Scud's eyebrows flew up. "Yes, and I already told you about his shape shifting abilities. He is a strong enemy. Daystar didn't work on him. We have to think about something new."

Turning to leave, Blade seemed to have done enough talking but Scud wasn't done "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Yo man, B! Come on! What about that doctor-chick you know?" "Karen Jenson" Alia said. "Whatever. She worked on the shit you shot yourself, right? Couldn't she try to help?" Blade just stood there for a second before he just went on. Scud took that with a full body-shrug and went on on his desk "Man, 'is gonna be so much fun. Ain't go shit to worry 'bout" Yeah, he was gone. The weapon-smith in him had something in mind. Shaking her head with a smile, Alia took of herself. She wanted to do some reading. Every being had a weak point. Time to find Drakes.

Two stops at the bookstore and 12 books later, Alia knew a bit more but nothing of use. The chitinous skin seemed to be the weakness but that was nothing new. Walking around in the huge place she called home, she looked down from the second floor to see Scud working on whatever the fuck it was with a soldering bolt, some hip-hip music in the background. It was either that or Barry White. And of course, Power Puff Girls on TV. Yeah, ok, that meant she wouldn't see him during the next days a lot. But she'd make sure he wouldn't starve. On the way to the kitchen she met Blade. "You want something to eat?" she asked. A look that said 'are you fucking serious?' was the answer. "Hey, wanna be polite, you know?" "Right. Alia, I'm gonna be gone for at least 24 hours. Look the damn doors and don't let Scud out. It's not safe" Saluting, she pretended to be an army major or whatever "Yes, Sir. But don't worry about Scud, he's ..." A huge bang cut her short.

Both were waiting for more to happen. Blade with his better hearing seemed to hear something that made him grin "Busy" he ended her sentence for her. "Patch your boy up" And woooshhh! The Daywalker was gone. Dropping all plans for food she went back to the big hall. Coming closer, she heard it now too. A tirade of curses put into new creative ways that could only be the Scudsters. Grabbing the first aid kit on the way down she caught a glimpse of her man with a dirty rag around his hand. "Josh Frohmeyer, what did you do now?" The calling of his full name made him turn and she saw blood on his face too. "Damn, Scud"

Somehow the machinery he was working on had gone lose and hurt his hand while whatever it was hit his lip. All in all he'd survive but the gash in his hand has pretty deep. "See, I thought if I can work out a mechanism to give arrows some mo' speed, while tunin' out the sound, we'd have somethin' that could penetrated his weirdo skin. Whatcha say?" he mumbled around the cigarette, his split lip already forgotten. "I thought something on the same lines. Just don't get yourself killed along the way" She smiled up to him and touched his cheek. Grinning while stretching his arms behind his back, bones cracking, he came down with his face, removed the smoke and with a mischievous smile, he kissed her nose. "We'll get the fucker"

_I need a gun to keep myself among  
The poor people are burning in the sun  
But they ain't got a chance  
They ain't got a chance  
I need a gun  
Cos all I do is dance *_


	5. Chapter 5

_Sitting in the dark, I can't forget.  
Even now, I realize the time I'll never get  
Another story of the bitter pills of fate  
I can't go back again  
But you asked me to love you, and I did.*_

The beats and screams from the chamber next to his broke Scud's heart. She wouldn't stop. Raving in hatred and pain, his woman had lost it. The moist darkness around him barely gave away anything about the layout of the room but he doubted that there was a way out. Drake had them right where he wanted and he knew it. Sliding down the wall behind him, his thick jacket rustling, he rested his chin on his knees and tried not to despair. The trick they had pulled with Damaskinos back in the day had been childsplay. Where the overlord was blind and over-confident, Drake knew that he and Alia would not really betray Blade. They had left him once and came back.

The false saftey that had sheltered them now was gone. Of course Scud always had known that the day would come. But not that fast. And he had hoped to be with her. So the end was coming and despair was hitting him hart. Hearing the screams of Alia didn't help. Getting up again, held out his hands infront of him and walked through the darkness towards the sounds. His hands hit the walls soon enough. Taking a deep breath, he yelled "ALIA!" "SCUD? SCUD!" For testing how loud he actually had to talk, he lowered his voice. To his surprise, she seemed to hear him. How thick was this wall? "Alia, you hurt?" She seemed to be close to the wall herself. Focusing, he could hear her "I dunno, Josh. I dunno. There's blood on me and my neck…" The following sobs and scream told him everything he needed to know.

Drake had bitten her. Feeling water collecting in his eyes, his already shattered heart broke some more. With his voice quivering, he sat down again "Alia…" "Scud, Scud, you still there? SCUD!" The panic took over. He got a grip and answered "Still here. What do we do now?" "We need to get outta here" But how. "You feelin' somethin' already?" "No. No. Not yet" Only a matter of time. No no no. He didn't want this. Never wanted this. If only Blade had let him die. If only the dud hadn't been real. He wouldn't be here right now and neither her. But it was too late. Wishing for a final joint, he swallowed hard. What to do now? The sound stone scratching on stone distracted him from trying to find a plan. The door opened and a faint light showed the outlines of Drake.

In human form, he still looked impressive. "Get up" Scud knew that trying to fight the ancient being wouldn't help him so he nodded and got up. Following Drake outside, he wished he could kiss his woman one more time. To his surprise, Drake stopped at the next door. Without another word, he opened it and Scud nodded. Of course there was more to it, this wasn't just a friendly gesture. Drake knew Alia would turn soon and need food. Cruel bastard! But if enough of her remained in her, she'd turn him too and therefore help re-creating the breed. Now what was the more cruel thing here?

Heart beating fast, he went inside and the door closed. "Alia?" "SCUD!" Their bodies found and connected even in the darkness and with all he had, he held her close. "I'm so sorry, doll. So sorry…" he breathed into her shoulder. All she could do was sob and almost crush him with the force of her hug.

They stood there for a long while like that and eventually Alia seemed to calm down. Fear was still ruling her but she no longer felt like screaming and raging. He felt her neck and found the bite-marks. Shit. Neat and nice. Drake didn't want to kill her. She jerked away. "No, don't…" She took a step back but Scud grabbed her hands and held them. "He did that on purpose. He knew all along" "Yeah, he did" "Ain't no way outta this grave" "No"

Together, they sat down on one of the walls and just held each other. To their surprise, a ray of light made its way through a gap somewhere in the stone as the time passed. It was like a hint of hope. But fake hope. And both knew it. Taking a deep breath, Alia moved infront of Scud, sitting on her knees and faced him. Her look was dead serious. "Josh, I don't wanna beocme on of them. Once I have, I will either kill you or turn you too. You don't want that, I don't want that. But there is another way" Slowly, she took of her shirt, revealing the corsage she sometimes wore for extra stabilty and protection. It was heavily patted and made a great cleavage. Scud had to swallow at that sight. Damn, not the right time. But maybe final time. Seeing his look, she put a finger under his chin and lifted his head.

Without a word, she reached to her side and from a hidden place she drew a knife. "NO! No, Alia, no I can't do that. I…" he scrambled up and started walking up and down the little room, totally upset. "You can't expect me to do that. I can't help you die! Can't watch ya…" Running after him, she caught him and cupped his face. "And I don't wanna kill you…what do we do…" Tears ran down her face, her hands cold and shaking. "Nononooo" he mumbled and again closed his arms around her. Now he didn't hold back his tears anymore. Right question. What should they do? What could they do.

Huddles together in a corner, they were a mess of arms and legs. As close as they could, they sat together, awaiting the end. The knife was held by both of them, caught between their intertwined hands. They shouldn't be waiting much longer and Alia knew it. With a sound somewhere between a sigh and a sob, she let go of his hand. In return, Scud made a sound beyond definition and his arms grabbed her tighter, patting her head now resting on his shoulder. He rocked them back and forth like two little babies.

Tears in her eyes, she studied the knife. Taking a deep breath, she put the knife to her wrist. Hearing her swallow, he held his breath. With one fast movent, she dragged the knife over her skin, all the way up to the crook of her arm. It was a very deep cut. Blood dropped on the floor fast and relentless.

Shivering, she cried on his shoulder. All he could think of doing was kissing her frantically before he took the knife from her. Breathlessly, he rolled up his sleeve and placed the knife like she had done. Rolling his head on his shoulders, he tried to focus. His breath was uneven. Scud, the Stud, was scared. Bloody finger reaching for his face, Alia forced him to look at her. Holding his gaze, she looked into the deep blue oceans of his soul and he calmed down. Together, now and forever. With a quick movement, he opened his veins.

The blood flowing over the floor, the puddle becoming larger with each passing second. "Josh…"her mind in cotton, she barely could speak. "Josh, I am tried…so tried…" she whispered into his ear. Lying on the floor now, they still were wrapped around each other. "Me too. Sleep, doll, sleep" Her lips brushed over his and it was heaven.

And way too soon, he felt her breath ceasing, her chest no longer moving, he knew she was gone. But it was ok. Feeling himself drifting away, he knew he'd be with her soon. Darkness came, embracing him like a warm sunny day and Scud let himself be carried away.

*_slipknot – dead memories_


	6. Chapter 6

I would apologize for the former chapter but I am not even sorry :D FOOLED YOU ALL! lol

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Starting from his sleep, Scud fell of the chair he had fallen asleep in, knocking over a bottle of beer. Holy fucking shit! Panting, he tried to get back to reality. His shirt was glued to him and so was his hair to his forehead. Damn, no more beer! He got up from the floor and made his way to the bedroom he shared with his girl. Trying not to knock things over, he tiptoed inside and removed his sweaty clothes down to his drawers. In the meantime, the analyzing part of his brain told him that this dream was part of the bigger picture. Of course it was. Drake had big plans. And while they were working on the one thing, like how to kill him, it was important to see it all. Meant they were missing something.

"Josh?" Alia's sleepy voice dragged him away from his thoughts. "Comin', doll" She made space for him and he crawled under the sheets. "Crashed something?" "Bottle of beer" "Notlikeyaself…" totally sleepy, she drawled it all out. "Had a bad dream. Promise me to never wear that corage until Drake is gone" "Hate it anyway" She snuggled onto him and Scud took a deep breath. Still, sleep wouldn't come to him anymore this day. Instead he held his woman and tried to figure out how to not lose her and his life in the process. Truth was, he alone couldn't figure it out. Thank god he wasn't alone.

Both worked through all of the night and Alia didn't miss the little looks he gave her. Knowing about his dream, she understood completely. And that was one more reason to work even harder. While Scud cobbled a variety of stuff together, she focused on hand-to-hand combat weapons. Maybe if Blade got close enough he could just cut Drakes head off. All these kind of things revolved around her head and she still felt like she was missing something. It was Scud who suddenly said "Who the fuck said he was after you anyway? Maybe it's all nothin' but a big scam" "But Blade said Drake wants to re-create the race, right?" "Doesn't the fucker have his own queen of the damned?" That was said as a snarky side comment but Alia froze "That's it" She dropped the blade in her hand on the table. Walking over to Scud while talking, she grabbed his collar and smacked a kiss on his lips "You brilliant lil shit, you. Damn! I'm sure there is a queen or something like that and Drake…" Scud took over "…doesn't know where she is! He thinks Blade might know or can help. But how?" "If Blade knew of her, he'd try to kill her" "And that would lead Drake right to her!" Bouncing the thoughts back and forth, they had soon had more then just one more piece to the puzzle.

Exhausted and tired, she stood under the hot shower some time later, and let the water flow down her body. Arms wrapped around herself, face upward held into the spray, eyes closed, she tried to tune out everything. Just the sound and the feel of the water. She excelled at it so well, she didn't realized that Scud had joined her until his arms were around here. "Where you at, doll?" He stood behind her and kissed her neck.

Looking over her shoulder he saw nothing but wet skin with a pair of precious boobies down to the ground. But those boobies were a little off. Grinning, he let his hands move up her body to her boobies and took each nipple between his forefinger and thumb, softly tucking and pulling until they stood. Which took about seconds. His girl let her head fall back onto him and exposed her beautiful neck. "I think I owe you a good orgasm…" "What?" "From before we went into prison for fucking the whole neighborhood awake" The deep sound of her laughter told him that he had her. Turning her around, he kissed her hard and pushed her back to the wall. Grunting, she dug her nails into his ass. Damn, his dick was stiff and throbbing already but "No" putting his hand on her mouth, he shook off her hands and with a stern look, he liked his lips suggestively. Seeing her eyes widen gave him a huge boost. Cutting the games, he knelt down, his hands now gently parting her legs.

Kissing her hips and the sensitive flesh leading down to her mound, his hands stroked her legs. Peeking up from under his fringes, he found that she had her head to the walls, slightly looking up and both hands covering her mouth. Sticking his tongue out, he quickly flicked over her clit and watched her jerk. Oh fuck yeah! With a chuckle he closed his mouth around the soft flesh and tenderly moved his tongue over it over and over again. He was in no hurry so he took his time until he moved his mouth farther only to find her totally ready.

Alia didn't know whether or not her legs would hold. Feeling his tongue going over her entrance painfully slow, she bit her lips under her hands but couldn't stop her throat from making a sound. But that got a reply from Scud in the form of a growl. Hands moving away from her legs, one traveled up her body and grabbed her booby while the other disappeared between her legs. Her man knew her and didn't bother playing with just one finger. Nope, two straight while his mouth went back the fun button. A shudder went through her. He went slow, in and out, and in a different rhythm then his mouth went. Shallow breaths squeezed through her hands and then Scud sucked in her clit, pulling soft. The force of the feeling made her gasp and she slumped a little. Her now downward bend head made her face Scud and enjoyed this way to much she could tell. Faking innocence, he placed a tiny kiss on her mound. Unable to deal with his cheeky expression right now, she shook her head and leaned back onto the wall and suddenly felt a need. Still one hand on her mouth, she took his hand from her boob and folded his baby finger down.

Fidgeting with his hand, he groaned when he understood. Not even a little surprised, he was willing to give her what she wanted. He added the third finger inside her slowly. Damn, that was tight so he went slowly and got rewarded with a loud reply. A hand dug in his hair and a long and deep moan filled the moist little room. His dick demanded attention it couldn't have right now. Trying hold his slow and steady movements, he looked up to watch her chest rise and sink hastily. Deciding to end it now, he speed it all up.

The stretching feeling of his fingers inside her send bolts through her and the second he sped up, her hold body tensed, her legs muscles flickered and within seconds, she lost it. "DAMMIT SCUD!" she yelled and came hard on his mouth and around his fingers. It was a hard and heavy orgasm and when the last spasm went through her, she yanked him up by his hair. Standing there infront of her, he smiled a satisfied smile. Her hand rand down from his hair over his cheek and he snatched her fingers, sucking them in. Shaking her head, she laughed "That mouth of yours just never get tired" Shaking his head, he released her fingers and almost lost his balance when Alia jumped him.


	7. Chapter 7

_You all stare, but you'll never see  
There's something inside me  
You all stare, but you'll never see  
There's something in you I despise*_

Blade heared the music blaring even before he and his guest entered the warehouse. A little annoyance mixed with the hope of Dr. Karen Jensen not being to offended or weirded out. But she took it with nothing but a a smirk. Good. Inside, he found Alia shooting arrows with what looked like a modified crossbow while Scud watched and took notes, adjusting something on the bow each time Alia shot. "Been tried before" he rumbled in his deep voice. They answered him as one "But you didn't have us workin on it, now didcha?"

Now Karen smiled and extended her hand to them. Alia grabbed it first and when Scud just said in his chilled ways "Call me Scud", fixed his jacket and went back to work with a smoke between his lips. Blade didn't fail to notice the hickey on his neck but didn't say anything about it. If those two wanted to play vampire on each other, let them. Settling Karen in, they met in the kitchen to discuss the situation.

Hearing the theory the couple had come up with, Blade frowned. "Never heard about a queen" "But you didn't know about Drake as well" Karen interrupted and she was right. "Still, it would be good to get a sample of his blood to see if I can get the work that had been done on daystar to another level. The theory isn't entirely wrong, given that Vampirism is a virus and people can be cured or treated. But with Drake..." she stopped the vocal part of her train of thoughts and went calm. "I did some reading and there is quite a few stories about such a queen, Blade. And it would make more sense then thinking he'd want someone like me for this. I mean, it would water-down the line again, right?" "Yeah" Scud took his ciggi from his mouth and waved it around in the air, pointing at Blade "And he also knows that you have the ability and connections to get whatever info he needs to find her"

The movement of B's head indicated that he wasn't entirely unimpressed about this. It was something to think about but it didn't feel 100% right to him. Didn't matter now, they had work to do. "First, we need a plan to get to his Blood. I was able to recover some Daystar-Data to work with , Karen." The ebony woman just nodded and got up, probably setting her lab up. "Can't use your blood?" Alia wondered, stealing Scud's ciggi which earned her a disapproving look but he already got a new out from his pocket "Talked about that. As much as we are alike, there is something in him Daystar just won't kill. We need a sample" "Won't be easy" Scud was in brainiac-mode, thoughtfully rubbing his chin and lower lip, the cigarette almost forgotten in his hand. "Especially when he's in fully asshole-mode and..." he stopped and while connecting the filter to his lips he got up and went outside. Simultaneously, Alia and Blade looked at each other and shrugged.

Rain. Again. Great. Scud hurried down the sidewalk, hoping his fav 'we-got-everything-but-nuclear-bombs-shop' was still open. It was a question of how high its owner was. Knowing exactly what he needed, constructing the device in his head already, all that was left was having Blade in a fight with him. And forcing that shouldn't be that hard, right? His head lowered, bangs already glued to his forehead, hanging down into his eyes and dripping with water, he flicked his head and got some out of the way. Trouble was, it was almost to easy. But maybe that was exactly why Drake would fall for it. They'd have to figure it out. And then Karen could work her kind of magic. But what if Drake made his move before...

The word around him went black as he was about to cross the street

_I've felt the air rise up in me...  
Kneel down and clear the stone of leaves...  
I wander over where you can't see...  
Inside my shell I wait and bleed... *_

Breathing calmly, he looked up from under his fringes and even with his lips bleeding already, the smug smile was still visible. No way in fucking hell. And this statement was visible in his eyes as well. "Go fuck yourself" The next hit of a fist hard as stone knocked the chair he was bound to over and he spat out blood. His head was ringing, his jaw hurt. Never. Showing off, he got lifted from the ground with one strong arm and set back straight. His opponent hunkered down and his eyes glimmered with hidden knowledge. So sure of himself. But Scud knew something too. This wouldn't work. "Maybe I just fuck you" Spitting out some more blood straight into the face of the guy, Scud smirked his most evil smile "Sure. Go 'head. Hadn't had a nice dick in a while. But wait, isn't yours a lil to old for that kind of action" Showing his fangs, Drake didn't go for the bait.

_Slipknot – purity, Slipknot – wait and bleed_


	8. Chapter 8

I apologize for the lack of updates. My muse needed a little vacation, I think. Back on track now. Thanks for staying with me.

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She had been ready to leave. Go find him, kill Drake, end this shit. And Blade had known better than to get into her way. Alia had gone apeshit crazy the second Drake's message had reached them. Not being able to think straight, she had just gone and packed a shitload of weapons, as much as she could carry. Out on the streets, she was heading for a known vampire hide-out when she froze mid-step. And went back to Blade and Karen. But not because this was a lost fight to begin with.

Blade wasn't surprised when Alia came into the kitchen. He had known she'd come back after her brain had rebooted. Karen just finished her sentence "...but that does not answer the question what he wants with Scud" "Whatever it is, he only got Scud cos he let him take him" with a dark face, Alia sat down. Blade frowned and Karen looked shocked. "Why would he do that?" "Cos it's the only way to get his blood. And knowing my man, he already knows a way out. I don't like it and I will beat the living shit outta him, but all we can do now is wait." Karen reached over the table and squeezed the other woman's hand.

_Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies,  
I'm above you smiling as you drown, drown, drown.  
I wanna kill and rape you, the way you raped me.  
It's on, pull the trigger and you're down, down, down._

Unfazed, still smiling to himself, Scud wondered if he had put himself into something that was over his head. But no. The way Drake had left him behind in the room told him otherwise. Chin on his chest cos he was lacking the strength to hold his head up, he watched the blood dripping down onto his pants and get soaked up by the fabric. How long had he been here? Hours? Days? No, it just felt that long. Time to pull it together. Moving his hands tied behind his back the chair, he started scratching the skin right underneath the metal cuffs Drake had bound him with. Took him some time but eventually, the very fine but strong needle hidden in his skin came lose. Hours later, the cuff gave up and Scud was able to pull the same trick Whistler had done once. But for now, he needed to do something else.

Moving around in the room wasn't just a pain in the ass but in every fucking bone Scud possessed. Still, he managed to prepare everything and get back on his beloved chair, putting the cuffs into place. Man, could you get a bruised ass from sitting on it all the time? Scud was sure you could. When Drake returned, Scud waited. Man, the dude was terrifying. No need to act that part. Even in his human shape he was a menace. "Ready to give me the input I need?" Raising his head, Scud faced him. "You ain't getting shit from me and you know it. Sides, why you wanna know something you already know? Don't trust your sucker-buddies? Yeah, wonder why, gee." BAAM! His head was forced into a spinning motion that made his neck crack and hurt but he was still around. Shit.

Trying to shut his stupid mouth wasn't hard at that point. Just hurt to much to talk. Shaking his head to clear it a little, Scud became quiet. This was a risky plan but it was now or never. Drake measured him.

Staring straight into the blue eyes of the human, he saw fear. Smelled it too. But there it was again. Defiance. Stubbornness. Drake knew he wouldn't get a word out of this human. Almost admirable. Time to rethink this and come up with a new tactic. As he turned to leave, he sensed the human move. Scud on his side wasn't surprised when Drake reacted. Making a jump for him, he suddenly hang mid-air, a hand around his throat, feet treading air. His hands clawed around Drake's wrist, trying to lift himself up. With nothing, not even a grunt, Drake threw him through the room. Scud crashed into the wall and slid down comic-style. Heavily panting, his heart racing, Scud said "Either kill me or lemme go. Not gonna tell you a thing." Again, he looked straight into the Vampire's eyes.

And Drake? He just left again. "Shit" Scud muttered, his head rolling back, resting on the cold wall. With a grunt, he finally was able to get up and walked to where the Vampire had stood. Bending down, he let something disappear into the depths of his pants. Now all he needed to do was getting out.

_When you fall  
So spent from emotion  
She is what  
Brings you to your feet  
Where challenges lie  
On the verge of destruction  
She pulls you back  
And she gives you wings _

Coughing woke her up. Grabbing a blade from the bedside table, she got up and ran outside. Around the corner and ..."SCUUUUD!" Almost tripping over her own feet, she scrambled down next to her man and Blade. "Oh no" her eyes teared up when she saw his face. He took her hand and squeezed her before pulling her close into a hug. Over her shoulder, Scud eyed Blade "Didn't crack. Not one word. But I got this" Alia shifted in his embrace to see Scud extending his hand to B. What changed possession was a vial. With deep red blood in it.

_Korn – thoughtless, Atreyu – Her portrait in black_


	9. Chapter 9

Quick chapter, inspired by Tracy. Enjoy.

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While Scud was asleep, Alia sat next to the bed, her Machetes at ready. Anything that wasn't B coming through that door would die. Ok, maybe Karen. But every mouse, every beetle, every wanna-be super-over-mega-lord of the suckheads. No one would get near him. Remember that cry-baby back in the Nomak-days? Gone was he. At least to the outer world. Not to her. When Blade had finally dropped him into the bed and Alia took his dirty clothes off and cleaned the blood, she could see his eyes watering. Not looking at her. She ignored it, letting him have his honor.

Of course he had been scared. Afraid for his life. But standing up and facing that fear, putting all on one card. That was called brave. Heroism. Even Blade had been stunned into silence for minutes after the vile had changed ownership. Scud still had to explain how he did it but it was more important that he rested now. After the blood was gone, Alia was just happy to see that there wasn't any permanent damage. No bites. Maybe a few more new scars. Not that she cared.

Scud did. He wasn't sleeping. Surely, Alia thought so. From the corner of his eye he saw her sitting in a chair, armed, between him and the door. Foolish woman. Things would never change and he'd always be between the chairs,so to speak. And this time, he really had fucked up. Only, he knew that this time, he would lose something far more precious then his life. And didn't that hurt. He smirked to himself. Pet, alright. Scars and ink to proof for it. Only, this time he had people caring about them. And he cared for them. See, this was the difference now. The bargain that was struck was to protect those he loved. The last time, he did it cos he really thought he'd die anyway and no one cared. Well, only one thing had changed. And what better thing to sacrifice yourself but for the suvival of other.s

Rolling over in the bed, his hand traveled over his tummy, feeling the fading scars. But the scars didn't feel the touch. In fact, he didn't feel anything on the inside. Just cold. Kinda dead. But nope. That was not like him. Declinde. "Buttercup..:" he drawled, his finger pointing at his woman in the dim light of the candle. Crooking his finger at her, he smirked. Tongue traveling over his lips, he could taste her already. Frowning, she came over "I'm not sure whether or not I should like that look on your face tonight, Scud" she sounded worried. "Your man's still alive. Let's celebrate" He grabbed her with his hand on her sweater and pulled her onto the bed, onto him, straddeling him. With her legs on each side of him, she sat perfectly right "Oh yeah. That's what I'm talkin' bout.."

She leaned down to him when his hands went under the sweater and moved up to her breasts. His eyes widened in surprise. Usually she wore something underneath, at least a bustier. But tonight, his bare hands connected with her skin instandly. He groaned out his surprise, massaging her perfect boobies, pinching the nipples. Alia, on her side, was careful not to hurt is beaten body even more, watching where she touched him. Which was mostly his face. Kissing him slow and soft, but deep, she shivered not just from his touch. Her own fear of losing him bubbled to the surface. Pulling her down and over even more, she was so occupied with his tongue, she didn't realize that he had no just pushed aside her panties but gotten his dick out as well. Not until he pushed her back on her shoulders and she felt his tip on her entrance. With a deep moan, she let herself glide onto him, but never lifting her body.

Scud felt a shiver crawl up her spine the same time his dick dove deep into her. They fell into a slow and passionate rythym. He kinda lost it the second he felt water on his face. From her tears. But she didn't stop, so he just continuded caressing her.


	10. Chapter 10

To the nonnie asking about Karen and Blade: I don't see that happening in this story, sorry.

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Two days after he had returned to his woman and Blade, Scud strolled down the streets, a blunt between his lips. Damn, he'd been smoking too much weed those past two days already. Everybody noticed but no one blamed him. After all, he had been through hell. Tucking his pants up, he realized he had lost some weight. Damn. Lucky for him, the place of his dreams was right in sight.

Ok, ok. His dream was more of a Dunkin' Donuts mixed with a Strip-club in which only Alia worked, feeding him not only the fried sweets and ate some off him as well. God bless the invention of baggies cos his dick sprang to life like an army-guy saluting. Being a woman must be so nice in these moments. Munching away his Donuts, he walked on. Not long and he reached his goal. Stroking his lips, he felt some snack-remnants in his stubbles. Oh well, at least it was enough to catch some stuff. Yet, if he shaved, he'd look like a total babyface again. Nah.

Inside the dark store, he went straight for the back. Pushing aside the black curtain, he searched for the person in question. But as usual, he was found first. "Hey my man, what's up?" Clapping hands with Vin Diesel from hell, he followed the dude. Explaining what he needed, he watched as Brendan went over to the fridge. Yes, Brendan, you got that right. What a name for a dude as large as Godzilla and just as ugly. The ladies loved him for reasons Scud didn't even pretend to understand. Like Alia loving him. "Ain't need the usual. Got a list…" Holding it out for Brendan, he stopped himself as he saw the inside of the fridge. "Dude, Halloween's over" "Just storing some stuff" Brendan took the note and closed the fridge. "For whom? Captain Spaulding?" "Nah, his daughter" Godzilla winked. "Ugh. Too creepy for even for my taste" Scud shuddered, the picture of…what the hell was that anyway? An arm? "Ya kiddin', right? You're the one serveing as blood-buffet and ya call me creepy?" In his southern accent, he laughed.

"Who the fuck told you that? Ain't got no suckhead sippin' my juice." Not that Scud gave a shit but this was just a little disturbing. "No? That's what I've heared. Was wonderin' about how to ask ya if it's any good. Hear it's nice to get off too" A right, old legends. So charming, so romantic, so unreal. "Man, not that this is any of your fuckin' business but lemme tell you this: there's nothing more turnin' off but a vamp rippin' you to fuckin' shredds and drinkin' your blood. And, bein' a straight man, I found a nice ass to tap every night." His voice was a lil to proud but heck, that's how men talked. "Really? Damn. She got a sister?" Scud's only reply was the lifting of an eyebrow.

No matter what kind of weird body-parts he got in his fridge, Brendan had about half the list in storage. The other half within a day. Back in the warehouse, he shut himself in his special room. Everybody knew only to come in after pressing a button which gave him an light-signal inside. Better safe than sorry, right?! Working with the sensitive material on the table, he didn't even smoke. Didn't want to turn himself into a human firecracker. But without the help of his little friend the weed-man, his mind went back to those final moments before Drake had let him go.

_"You really think you can play me, silly human? You think I am not aware that you have taken blood from me? You are smart indeed, I can see why Blade is keeping you, PET!" The last words was practically spat out like he chewed on a crispy toad. "Give me one good reason why I should spare your life?" Drake stood infront of the door, unmoving, his eyes changed. Scud had backed up against the wall and his mind was racing. Ok, he tried and he failed. Again. So no what? There was only so much he had to offer. Could offer. "I will not become a spy for you. You want input on Blade, get it somewhere else" Lifting his chin up, he winked at the nightmare. Wrong move. Drake was on him in less then a second. Pushing Scud into the wall, a hand on his throat, Drake lowered his head to get close to Scuds ear. In a low and controlled tone he went on_

"_You will do as I say. You will help me find the key to give my children strength again. If you do not do as I say, I will take what's most precious to you" Scud's eyes widened. __No, no, no. __Anything but this. Drake sensed him tensing up and smirked. "That's right. That beautiful woman of yours. Destroying her slowly will be my pleasure. Oh now, I will not kill her. She will do that to herself. Did you know that almost all females on this planet are fused by one purpose? One wish? Oh, how sweet it will be to take that away from her. Watch her despair." Drake purred those words and Scud knew he spoke the truth. _

And so, the deal was made. Scud would help Drake find whatever or whoever the dude needed to get his race back up and running and in exchange, Alia was safe. And somehow, he'd find a way to kill the fucker who had threatened his woman like this. He would. Frowning, he measured the results of his work. Not bad for a stoner. But instead of petting his own shoulder, he went on with something else. A few aces up the sleeves never hurt anyone.

Night fell again and Blade was about to go out hunting. Alia wanted to join him, this new weapon of hers needed some testing. Karen was busy in her lab. So Scud kissed his woman good luck and goodbye. He watched her leaving with Blade in the charger and kept on staring at the closed gates for some time. Really? Again? Shit. With a curse and kinda nodding to himself, he turned, exhaling smoke and went for his room. Correction. Their room! His heart was heavy in his chest as he packed some clothes into a duffel. Letting his eyes taking in the place he called home for one last time, he stood in the doorframe. "Bye, buttercup" he whispered into the warm room, got his other stuff and went out into the cold night.


	11. Chapter 11

Sand. Everywhere. In his shoes,in his hair, in his eyes. Damn, even in his boxers! How he wished for some rain while he set up his gear in the remains of the Syrian temple. Shit. That made him think of what he left behind. Whom he left behind. In his mind, he heard his woman sing

_I'm alone  
can't wait until I feel your rain  
so unreal  
can't find another place of your rain  
I believe  
I still believe in your warm rain  
I'm alone  
can't sleep until I feel your rain _

She usually didn't sing cos she thought it was awful. Truth was, she had an awesome voice. Deep, raspy, but so feminine and full of power. Unlike his singing: a cat scratching over a blackboard. Duh. That song in the back of his mind, he squinted his eyes against the blazing sun. Shoulda brought B's sunglasses. That made him snort. Sure, like the old grump would share those. Hell, the dude probably slept with them. How the fuck was he able to see in the darkness with those things? And don't you dare mentioning super-vampire sight. Scud suspected Blade was just waiting for a chance to unleash his inner Horatio Cane.

"You done there, human?" Drake's voice dragged him away from his imagination conjuring up a picture of Blade dramatically putting his sunglasses back on his nose while saying something super obvious. Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! "Almost. You sure 'bout this, man?" Peeking over his shoulder, Scud earned a glare before Drake turned away. With a shrug, he shouldered his backpack and followed the big bad Lord. This was gonna be so much fun. Putting a blunt into his mouth, he didn't care that this was holy ground. His fear was unholy, damn. Inhaling deep, he followed Drake down what felt like million steps. Once they reached a broken down part, Drake stopped. "This was my prison for centuries. Take a good look, human. The clues you might need to get what I want are in there" Crossing his arm before his chest, Drake assumed a 'I am gonna put down roots' position and Scud went to work.

Alia was furious. How dare he! She'd beat the living shit outta Scud! With a cotton ball! Let him suffer for eternity! What the actual fuck was the stupid pothead thinking? The weed had finally gotten to whatever braincells left. Blade and Karen just stood there, Karen sitting on a chair, Blade leaning on the wall, while Alia walked rings of fire. Blade swore he could see the exhaust of her emotions flare behind her. Women. But he let her fume for now. She was no use to him in this state of mind. And soon enough, after the anger was gone, she stopped. Her eyes now watery. "Blade, we find him. Again" The last word was coated with bile. "Done" While Alia's jaw dropped, B showed one of his genuine, tooth-paste-commercial smiles. "You tracked him" Not a question, a statement. "But...how...i mean..." Karen was over by Alia in a heartbeat cos she really swayed at that point.

"No, I did not expect him to try and rat us out again. But he has weird sense of honour and a messiah-complex on top of it. Only Josh Frohmeyer can safe the word." He went over to one of the toys, as Scud called his beloved computers and started a program. After a minute he said "Syria. Should have known..." his voice trailed off and while he stood there, arms behind his back, forehead in a frown, Alia turned on her heel. Yeah, alright. She'd teach that dick a lesson. Drake would learn not to try to fuck with what was hers. And Scud...an evil smirk crossed her de terminated face. Oh, that dick would remember HIS dick for sure! Damned be those three-legged assholes!

Somehow Alia shouldn't be as surprised as she was. Blade was the afro-version of Dr Gadget after all. A plane and the ability to fly that fucker was just another ace in his sleeve. The little Cessna was old but well in shape. As if sensing her amazement, Blade said over the sound of the engines "Whistler taught me. This was his secret love" And Alia could understand. The sense of freedom up here in the cloud was amazing. If only it wasn't for the cold. And her belly was fluttering. She realized she had placed her hand on her belly and quickly removed it.

Drilling holes into the sandstone had taken him longer then he initially thought. But now he was done and placed the small cylinders of special explosives in them. While putting together the wires, he asked "Ok, lemme see if I gotcha: there is another chamber beneath this. You're not gonna tell me what's inside. All I have to know is that there is gonna be a shitload of special suckheads. Special as in you were the one to turn them which is why they are stronger. You have no idea whether my special UV-Bombs will work on them or not. Which is why we got those fuckers" He pointed at the guns next to them. "You might not be able to take them all out before they make a fuckin' meal of me and even if I survive, I might die when we go down and open that other chamber. Missed anything?" He gave Drake his most cocky look, a smoke between his lips. The dark Lord was totally annoyed by this habit and that was why Scud was chain smoking like a chimney. Nodding, Drake focused on the hole. "Let's get on with it"

Nodding, Scud followed him around the nearest corner and put the fuse on the ground so he could activate it with his foot. He'd need both guns in his hands. Drake palmed two guns himself and an extra rifle across his back. Both raised their arms and with a nod himself, Scud hit the fuse.

*_Guano Apes – Rain_


	12. Chapter 12

The blinding light wound through the corridors of the temple like an anaconda pursuing its prey. Deadly, with purpose but it seemed to take forever. The aftershock ruffled Scud's hair and made him struggle for balance. Still, he kept his guns level and he sensed the menace before they came charging around the corner. Granted, Drake had chosen a good spot. Almost every bullet hit its target and the vile-looking creatures turned to even more dust in the air. Dust. Yeah. Scud blinked hard and fast and his eyes were watering to keep the stuff out. And that blinking was what took him down.

One of those mummy-imitating assholes got to him. It smelled like decay but not like rotting meat would. More like you left a piece of bacon out in the sun for to long and maggots already crawled over it. On his back, his arms crossed infront of his chest, the beast clawed for his throat. Guns still in his hand, he tried to get one into the direction of the head. But it didn't work. He needed all his strength to keep the thing away from his body. It was only when he started coughing that his body send him the disturbing signal: hands around his throat. Pain. Like those claws in his gut used to feel. Shit. His vision blurred and panic took over. His body struggling for breath, muscles twitched.

But it was no use. Feeling his muscles give in and the lights go off, he hoped it would be fast.

The ground rumbled underneath their feet and before Alia, Blade and Karen could make it to Scud, the floor gave in. Flat on her back, Alia raised her guns, flipping on the search-lights on them but the dust made it impossible to see a thing. All she could to was go by hearing. And those sounds...growling menace in the unknown. The slicing-sounds of Blade's Katana. At least he was still up. Drake most likely as well. Something like a ripping-sounds, like when you tear apart a piece of fabric, followed by a squelch-like thing. Where the fuck was Scud? Shit.

And suddenly, the sounds where gone. Blade stood in the semi-darkness, his sword at ready. "Daywalker. I should have known you'd come for your pet" Drake growled somewhere in the shades. "Leave him be. I'll help you with this. But let him go" Blade could hear the women gasp. Truth was, he couldn't life with himself if Scud died today. Apparently he didn't know yet but Blade had seen the evidence clear as day. Drake sounded as irritated as Alia felt "And why would you do this?" "None of your business. Just know that I hold my word. And maybe I even owe you for saving my life. So we do this together. But afterwards..." A laughter, like you'd imagine the devil's laughter to be, was Drake's reply.

A flare was lit and the surroundings became more visible. Back on their feet, Alia and Karen exchanged glances while Drake and Blade just stood there, measuring each other like two bulls ready to charge at each other. Not able to wait for the bone-shattering impact to happen, Alia went searching for Scud. Her mind registered a conversation between the two men but the words didn't make it to the area in here brain where it should be processed. Finding nothing but pieces of Scud's fave red nightmare-jacket, her heart started racing. Clutching it to her chest, she went on, trying to turn over big chunks of stone. "ALIA" Blade all but screamed into her ear. "You heard what was said?" Facing Blade, she almost stumbled back cos the sight of B without his shades was something she hadn't expected. "You and Karen go. I got this" His eyes drilled into her like two arrows. There was no use for words. It was all in his eyes. So she turned and did as he commanded.

Watching the women go, Blade said over his shoulder: "So where is whatever you are searching for? Further down?" "Daywalker, you are a worthy adversary. To bad we are fighting on opposite sides. Now come with with me. I swear to my ancestors that no harm shall befall you while we are down here." For whatever it was worth, Blade knew Drake would keep his word. And so they descented further into the temple to only god knew what to find.

Meanwhile, Karen dragged Alia through the seemingly endless corridors. "Come on, Blade's got a plan. We gotta get outta here" Yanking her arm free of Karen's iron-grip, Alia stopped. "Karen, no! He does NOT have a plan! All he's doing is giving you, me and Scud a chance! And the only reason for him to do so is the baby!" Frowning in confusion, Karen went visibly pale as the words started to sink in. The women's eyes met and Alia saw the same steel-termination in Karen's eyes she felt. Without another word, they turned around.

With all the lights gone, Scud sat in the dark. Scratches on his neck roughly patched up, his chest and back aching like a brick-wall had come down on...well, shit. Putting his night-vision goggles on, he got his backpack and went to work. Whatever Blade was up to, it did only slightly interfere with his own plans. But, gee, thanks guys for putting your trust into him once again he thought. The only thing you'd count on these days was the predictability of the people he loved. And somewhere deep inside him, a little, weird voice said "_And they love you"_ Well, damn, didn't that make hio squirm a little. Liking the dust from his lips, he tried to sneak through the tunnels as silent as a cat. Probably looked like an elephant trying to hide behind a palm-tree but he didn't care. The watchers didn't all die, he knew that like he knew where to go: before he and Drake had entered the temple, and with Drake being a totally dumbass when it came to technology, Scud had done a series of scans. So he knew not only how many creatures where inside the temple but he also knew exactly where to go. And how to end this. Improvisation was his second name after all.


End file.
